This data collection is comprised of radiometric (gamma-ray spectrometric) surveys acquired across Australia by Commonwealth, State and Northern Territory governments and the private sector with project management and quality control undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The radiometric method measures naturally occurring radioactivity arising from gamma-rays. In particular, the method is able to identify the presence of the radioactive isotopes potassium (K), uranium (U) and thorium (Th). The measured radioactivity is then converted into concentrations of the radioelements K, U and Th in the ground. Radiometric surveys have a limited ability to see into the subsurface with the measured radioactivity originating from top few centimetres of the ground. These surveys are primarily used as a geological mapping tool as changes in rock and soil type are often accompanied by changes in the concentrations of the radioactive isotopes of K, U and Th. The method is also capable of directly detecting mineral deposits. For example, K alteration can be detected using the radiometric method and is often associated with hydrothermal ore deposits. Similarly, the method is also used for U and Th exploration, heat flow studies, and environmental mapping purposes such as characterising surface drainage features. The instrument used in radiometric surveys is a gamma-ray spectrometer. This instrument measures the number of radioactive emissions (measured in counts per second) and their energies (measured in electron volts (eV)). Radiometric data are simultaneously acquired with magnetic data during airborne surveys and are a non-invasive method for investigating near-surface geology and regolith.

This collection includes information regarding the location and design of Australian onshore and offshore boreholes, where boreholes are defined as the generalized term for any narrow shaft drilled in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. In this context, boreholes include: Mineral Drillholes, Petroleum Wells and Water Bores along with a variety of others types, but does not include Costean, Trench or Pit. <b>Value: </b> Information related to the boreholes described in this collection have the potential to support geological investigations and assessment of a variety of resources. <b>Scope: </b>Selected open file boreholes Australian boreholes located onshore and offshore

The Australian National Exposure Information System (NEXIS) collates the best publicly-available information, statistics, spatial and survey data into comprehensive and nationally-consistent exposure information datasets. Where data is limited, models are used to apply statistics based on similar areas. Exposure Information products are created at the national, state or local level to understand the elements at risk during an event or as a key input for analysis in risk assessments. <b>Value: </b>NEXIS products are not intended for operational purposes at the building or individual feature level. Its strength is to provide consistent aggregated exposure information for individual event footprints or at standard community, local, state and national geographies such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Statistical Areas (SA) or Local Government Areas (LGA). <b>Scope: </b>National detailed exposure information of the number of people, dwellings, other buildings and structures, businesses, agricultural and environmental assets. Further information can be found at the following URL: https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/community-safety/risk-and-impact/nexis

Collection of field notebooks recording mainly geological observations made by staff of Geoscience Australia (GA) and its predecessors, Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) and Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), while conducting fieldwork between 1930 and 2010. The notebooks are currently being digitised. <b>Value: </b>Historic and scientific significance. Many sites visited are remote and have rarely been revisited. Some notebooks also record observations on fauna and flora. <b>Scope: </b>Geographical scope is largely Australia, pre- and post-Independence Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the Australian Antarctic Territory, but other countries and territories are represented.

This is the collection level record for the N.H. (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library's collection of Antarctic geological field notebooks. Digitised copies of the notebooks were transcribed and validated in 2016-2017 by a dedicated team of volunteers from around Australia via the Australian Museum's DigiVol Citizen Science transcription platform. This project was managed by Information Services Librarian Jane Black with support from Geoscience Australia's Antarctic Geoscience team. The Antarctic field notebooks contain the geological observations recorded by Bureau of Mineral Resources geologists during their trips to Antarctica between 1948 – 1980s. Files include a scanned copy of the original handwritten field notebook, transcription of the notebook’s contents transcribed by volunteers and validated by an experienced geologist, and a csv file of the transcription with Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) tags. The original Antarctic field notebooks are held at the N.H. (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library at Geoscience Australia, Canberra.

Relatively little is known about what the seafloor of Australia's continental shelf looks like or has living on it. Geoscience Australia (GA), together with other partners, undertakes a range of marine surveys to improve our understanding and management of Australia's marine environments. One component of the research involves the collection of underwater imagery to directly observe and characterise coastal and deep sea habitats. In some regions these surveys build on existing baseline knowledge, but in many areas, particularly deep offshore locations, these surveys provide the first images of the seafloor. The imagery collection includes both still and video imagery collected using various systems, including towed platforms, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Post-survey reports and metadata files are included as part of the collection, which describe further details of the surveys and respective imagery collections. The seafloor imagery provides a wealth of information about the geological features, habitats and life forms occurring throughout Australia's marine jurisdiction. <b>Value: </b>Improve the understanding and management of Australia's marine environments. <b>Scope: </b>GA surveys from 2007 onwards in waters around Australia and Australia's Antarctic Territory.

Geoscience Australia houses one of the world's largest collections of petroleum data. Much of this data is non-confidential and available to the petroleum industry, research organisations and the public. The collection includes well data submitted by industry under legislative requirements as well as data collected by research projects and marine surveys undertaken by Geoscience Australia or other government agencies or institutions. The collections comprise of digital data such as well completion reports, well logs, destructive analysis reports, vertical seismic profiles, core photography, special studies and also hard-copy well log data and graphs submitted during the pre-digital era. <b>Value: </b> information related to the subsurface that have the potential to support geological investigations and assessment of a variety of resources. <b>This data can be discovered through the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS) - https://www.ga.gov.au/nopims</b>

This is the collection level record for the N.H. (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library's 219 Papua New Guinea geological field notebooks. Digitised copies of the notebooks are being transcribed and validated by a dedicated team of volunteers from around Australia via the Australian Museum's DigiVol Citizen Science transcription platform. This project is being managed by Information Systems and Services Librarian Robert Blyth. The PNG field notebooks contain the geological observations recorded by Bureau of Mineral Resources and AGSO geologists during their field trips to pre- and post-Independence Papua New Guinea from the 1950s to the 1990s. Individual records for these notebooks are not yet available in eCat, but are in the Library's online catalogue (go to <a href="https://geoscienceaustralia.intersearch.com.au">https://geoscienceaustralia.intersearch.com.au</a>, click on Lists at top left and select PNG Field Notebooks). Processing of the image and transcription files is continuing, with the aim of making these available in eCat when this work is complete. The original field notebooks are held at the N.H. (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library at Geoscience Australia, Canberra.

This data collection are comprised of magnetic surveys acquired across Australia by Commonwealth, State and Northern Territory governments and the private sector with project management and quality control undertaken by Geoscience Australia. Magnetic surveying is a geophysical method for measuring the intensity (or strength) of the Earth's magnetic field, which includes the fields associated with the Earth's core and the magnetism of rocks in the Earth's crust. Measuring the magnetism of rocks, in particular, provides a means for the direct detection of several different types of mineral deposits and for geological mapping. The magnetism of rocks depends on the volume, orientation and distribution of their constituent magnetic minerals (namely magnetite, monoclinic pyrrhotite, maghaemite and ilmenite). The instrument used in magnetic surveys is a magnetometer, which can measure the intensity of the magnetic field in nanoteslas (nT). Magnetic surveys in this collection have been acquired using aircraft or ship-mounted magnetometers and are a non-invasive method for investigating subsurface geology.

Hydrochemistry data for Australian groundwater, including field and laboratory measurements of chemical parameters (electrical conductivity (EC), potential of hydrogen (pH), redox potential, and dissolved oxygen), major and minor ions, trace elements, nutrients, pesticides, isotopes and organic chemicals. < <b>Value: </b>The chemical properties of groundwater are key parameters to understand groundwater systems and their functions. Groundwater chemistry information includes the ionic and isotopic composition of the water, representing the gases and solids that are dissolved in it. Hydrochemistry data is used to understand the source, flow, and interactions of groundwater samples with surface water and geological units, providing insight into aquifer characteristics. Hydrochemistry information is key to determining the quality of groundwater resources for societal, agricultural, industrial and environmental applications. Insights from hydrochemical analyses can be used to assess a groundwater resource, the impact of land use changes, irrigation and groundwater extraction on regional groundwater quality and quantity, assess prospective mineral exploration targets, and determine how groundwater interacts with surface water in streams and lakes. <b>Scope: </b>The database was inaugurated in 2016 with hydrochemical data collected over the Australian landmass by Geoscience Australia and its predecessors, and has expanded with regional and national data. It has been in the custodianship of the hydrochemists in Geoscience Australia's Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division and its predecessors. Explore the <b>Geoscience Australia portal - https://portal.ga.gov.au/</b>